Epiphany 01-06-24

I was surprised to run across this image online.  Seems odd to me to use Happy and Epiphany in this juxtaposition. Is Epiphany something to be happy about?  I'm completely out of the loop on this, but for some strange reason the word has come up more frequently this season, this year.

The temperature has gotten more like winter this past week and morning temps are in the 40F range. I try to  wait until it gets to 50F, but KoKo needs to go out.

Our pastel sunset tonight. It looked like rain but the clouds moved on,

We have had a bit of rain, but mostly at night. One morning last week we got soaked on our morning walk, so I just put KoKo in the sink  and gave him a bath since he was very wet and a bit muddy.

If we lived in Tucson, Arizona this is the sunsets they have been having!

Photo by Sherrie Spanger -Tucson, Arizona

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Friday Food 01-05-2024

I do like sweets, dessert of some kind at every meal.  I almost never make dessert at home, but try to find great dessert places to eat out. .Of course, there is always ice cream or gelato in the freezer.  And chocolate chips to help satisfy those terrible cravings for just a little bit of sweetness.  

Paris Baguette is rather new in our area and now there are two!  Fortunately neither is on my regular errands route, but sometimes I will go out of my way.

Cake is okay and some restaurants serve fabulous varieties.

And there is usually some kind of cheesecakes on the menu at fancier places/

Not many desserts at Japanese restaurants, but some serve green tea ice cream with chocolate drizzle.

Some really high priced places have homemade ice cream with delicate cookies. 

Anytime I see Marionberry pie on the menu, I will have a piece.

This is a whole pie which I would need to share with a couple other people.  

Creme Brulee always hits the spot.  

Chocolates are nice, even when they are not See's.  

I can savor one piece or just pig out, I was born a chocolate lover. 

But my great downfall is a cookie.  As part of my self invented diet I repeat

"One cookie is better than five", but I don't always listen to myself.

Orange and chocolate is a divine combination.

Homemade are best and there are always some on the refreshment table at guild meetings.

Like this rich chocolate with pecans. 

This bar cookie was soooo  good.  A crust with chocolate frosting  and  chopped  almonds. 

A trio of cookies for Christmas  -  chocolate chip, cranberry, and nuts with frosting. 

Of course, KoKo is also a cookie lover, although it is a very rare treat for him.

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Tree Quilts by Del 01-04-24

When I was looking through my photos yesterday for leaves I kept seeing trees quilts, some  of which I have made.  I have always been a tree hugger and enjoy making quilts showing them. 

I think of Saguaros as trees.  This is done with Ruth B. MdDowell's technique - cut pieces, sew right sides together, open, press, add another piece, etc. 

"Winter in the City" -  pieced and fused.

An autumn tree - fusible applied and design cut in one piece.

"The Pink Tree"  12X12 for SAQA  online auction .It sold!

"Put a Roof Over Our Heads"

For the Alliance for American Quilts challenge 2007.

Voted 2nd place!   16"L X  13"W  Fused

Done for a demonstration - fused strip background with fused tree motif.

"Three Palms"  2007   8.5"X11"  pieced and fused

Part of the Quilt Journal Project  2002-2007

"Welcome Home"  2021  Pieced and fused 36"W X 48"L

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Wordless Wednesday 01-03-24

 

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Ten years ago 2014 BIG bubbles 01-02-24

On New Year's Day 2014 I went to San Clemente to the Ota's Open House  When I arrived Nancy was out in the cul-de-sac helping her grand children make huge bubbles using a home made contraption composed of two dowels, some heavy string and a metal washer.  I wish I had taken a picture of it.

There is a long skinny bubble here that shows just below the car. But the real reason I include this picture is because of the shadows - Nancy's shadow in the middle holding the bubble maker and my shadow in the lower right (with my camera shadow sticking out like a weird nose).  The pan holds the Dawn detergent/glycerin mix for the bubbles.  Google "Giant Bubbles" for information to make your own! 

Here is an irregular bubble ready to be release when it will become more round. 

Two rolling together uphill in the breeze. 

It was such a fun thing to do.  I would still like to try it one day!

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First Day of 2024 01-01-24

It has been a rather strange day-verrrry quiet!  When we walked this morning we saw nobody and no cars drove through our neighborhood.  Even this evening about 4:30p when we did our  evening walk we only saw three other people.  Fortunately one was willing to give KoKo some loving.  He expects it, you know!  Not many planes, which is eerie because we live under the flight paths of John Wayne/Orange County airport and the small Fullerton General Aviation Airport.  And we didn't have many fireworks  last evening either.   An unusually quiet New Years.   Somehow people did take down their Xmas decorations but a few are still up.  Like this one.

This is my favorite decorated tree.   It is an olive and the owners keep it nicely trimmed.  The lights wrapped around the trunk and branches go way up inside the leafy part and make the light spots in the dark crown. It  is like broccoli with lights inside.. The wrapped lights are red and white but the red doesn't show in a picture taken in the dark.

Meanwhile, behind our house the contractors are still renovating our little park. The two trees in the foreground have been in for a few years and the large ones in the background are located in the gated community beyond the slump stone wall.

A few small trees have been planted and they have added the lighter area in the middle of the cement ring. I don't know what the light stuff is, but it looks like sawdust.   The two structures that look like an elephant and a pile of dung, we  guess are for climbing on. Hopefully everyone who climbs will have to sign a  waiver in case  they fall.  Ha!  In the very foreground is the flood control channel with a gravel road in the bottom right corner used by the occasional trucks doing  an inspection.  I am told there is a zipline nearer the entrance to the park - guess the city must have fabulous liability insurance.  The park is unstaffed.  

 

An elephant without a trunk??

I had only three "to-do" items on my list today and didn't do even one.  Not very promising for the first day of a new year!!

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New Year Ahead 12-31-23

Just reminiscing about New Years past.  I have never been to the Rose Parade in Pasadena, although Floyd and I drove up several times after the big day to look at the fabulous floats parked along a street.  The crowd control was excellent, so everyone stayed happy and  friendly.  There were rows of porta-pottys to make everyone comfortable. 

The closest I came to actually attend the parade was about 1959 or 1960.   I was living with my paternal grandmother in Arcadia and went to an all night party with some friends - dancing, eating, snuggling, "carrying on".   My date dropped me off to change into warmer clothes while he went home to do the same.  It wasn't light yet and very cold.  I took off my party dress and, shivering every minute, started to layer on warm clothes. I looked  at my nice warm bed, yawned a few times, looked again at the clock, and called my date to say I  just  couldn't make  it.  He wasn't terribly disappointed and didn't go himself. As it turned out we were not the only chickens, about half the group actually went to watch the dawn and the parade.  By the time the next year rolled around I was living in Long Beach and had to work on holidays.  I was never tempted to go to the parade again.  I guess I am too much  of night owl.  Not very many sunrises in my life!  

In another hour it will be a new year.  I am very apprehensive what will happen to our country politically.  And also about the wars around the world.  I hope  you all stay safe and keep well.  Have a great 2024.   Love, Del and KoKo

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